Problems are meant to be solved. I spent half a day with my new TV Guide, mixing and matching first names to last, creating a master list of character names I can use. Adam Kidd, Erica Durst, Shannon Keith. They don’t exist at the moment, but they sound good, right? I could populate a subdivision with them, give them assorted children, and even give a few of those children an imaginary friend. Pet names, too. I need lists. These lists will help me move forward at breakneck speed, without getting lost. Who is who, and what they do. Objects and things, they need to be listed too, with descriptions on content, use, or capabilities. Odd physical descriptions of objects must be explored as if the objects in question are in front of me. That takes care of the physical world about to be created. I don’t have to guess at the details, because these details already exist for me. I know this world, and the characters that inhabit it; down to the last hairy wart on a boney flat ass, or juicy wad of gum in a crosswalk about to be stepped on. I provide only the details needed to keep the story moving with real depth, without slowing the pace.

My next problem: Plot is cause and effect.

It’s true. Most writers confuse plot with the idea behind a novel, but an idea isn’t plot. Plot blends all of a novel’s elements; the physical and emotional; between protagonist and antagonist; always diffuse yet genuinely dynamic. Plot is cause and effect. To that end I had to come up with a list of things that would further my plot, keeping it somewhat loose, yet fully structured. Something could happen I didn’t expect to happen, but it becomes a good thing. A happy accident. Whatever, and whatever it takes. A few items include: move him around, and then enclose him. Bring the tension up with real danger. Add a touch of strained romance. The punishment must fit the crime. Personal sacrifice due to circumstance too enormous to control. What is the motivation between segments? Can the emotional growth be mapped, beginning to end? I’m using plot to turn the screw.

I managed 8,000 words in the last two weeks. Not bad, but not good, either. I can do more, and need to do more. See you next week.